[MPlayer-dev-eng] Distro's packaging half-broken MPlayer again

[Thomas Orgis]

Am Sat, 30 Dec 2006 13:43:00 -0500
schrieb Rich Felker <dalias at aerifal.cx>: 

> Would you please tell them that if they want to "avoid patents" they
> need to remove everything from MPlayer except PCM and RAWRGB video. :)
> That _includes_ vorbis and theora.

Actually, it is questionable if mp3 playback (without MP3pro/surround) is still patented.
The basic patent for "digital coding process" exhausted its 20-year life in Germany (where mp3 came from) last August and other countries are to follow this year.
It is the question how many of the patents named on mp3licensing.com actually affect decoders (not many)... and well, the patent holders explicitly allow free software players to be distributed (without cost) and it is not realistic to expect a lawsuit about a Linux distribution containing a mp3 mplayer.
We have this nice vague status-quo... 

Thomas.